Didn't watch the game for reasons I've done to death. I'm not one to dwell on statistics in general but there are a couple I concern myself with. One is shots on target. 7:5 to Leeds. However, that can hide a multitude of problems. So I turn to xG. Now I know I'm going to be panned but I feel they are a good bellwether for the general state of chances created. I'm amazed how many people don't know how they work so I'll explain: apologies to those who already know - skip this bit. xG reflects the quality of chance created. So, if I get the ball passed to me and I'm six inches off the goal-line with no defenders nearby and the keeper stranded on the floor away from the goal, it might count as 0.99 goals. (or, in truth if it's me with the ball, probably about 0.5). A speculative shot from 40 yards out through a box full of defenders might score 0.01. Add them up and you get a number that reflects the overall quality of chances created by a team during a match. I read the posts on here before looking up the stat. I was expecting it to be 2.8:0.4 or such like (those sort of numbers would fit a 3-0 scoreline normally). But I find it's 1.85:1.48. That says to me that, Saints pessimism glasses notwithstanding, perceptions of the unbearable one-sidedness of that game were a little skewed. The only problem with xG is that, as we know, sometimes they just don't go in the net no matter what you do. Assume in your abuse that I already know: Statistics can prove anything Statistics are pointless Statistics don't gain us points Statistics don't score goals My entire point is just that the game may not have been quite the walkover that I'd assumed reading the comments on here. Vin
Again, l cannot agree more. There can be no reason to sack Ralph when you consider the squad issues, which l wrote about above. He may not, in my view, have all bases well covered in terms of game management, but he has limited options to work with. Some seem to easily forget what he had achieved before the injuries started to stack up.
I think you’re applying your own mindset to Ralph. He’s simply not like that. He has had backing. The only player of worth he has had to sell is PEH and every single one of the incoming players has significantly improved the squad. Get to a cup final and stay up will be a decent cushion to build on next season with a fully fit squad.
An exquisitely worded, delicately expressed and beautifully crafted single post summation apparently intended to remind us why football fans across the country think what they do of Leeds fans. Vin
While I completely agree that it wasn’t as one-sided a game as the result implies, the main problem with a statistical analysis is that it takes no account of the emotional state of the players. Once again, last night, we saw a poor second half performance following a decision that went against us at the end of the first. I won’t dwell on the disallowed goal because that isn’t the point. The point is that the one area where Ralph has consistently failed is in instilling a sense of “**** them then, we’ll just win whatever the odds” into the squad. If he can’t do that, that isn’t a reason to get rid of him because of all the other amazing stuff he does. But look back to the beginning of January, when pretty much that same group of players battled like their lives depended on it to beat Liverpool, and contrast that with the second half last night. Something needs fixing in that squad, urgently, and Ralph clearly needs to have some help to do it.
Thanks for your detailed analysis on what 'our problem' is, based on watching us for one match and reading a few headlines. No idea why we haven't snapped you up.
It wasn't. We probably should have gone in ahead at half time. The issue was that as soon as they scored, our mental fragility popped up, we lost Oriol, and we collapsed.
I wonder if, like with Vokins (as is being shown at Sunderland), and Valery (as was shown with us), Ramsey isn't being played because he's just not good enough.
